Scars II
by Alisha Winchester Collins
Summary: What happens when Coulson & Skye come face to face for the first time after her recovery from getting shot and Coulson learns something important and different about her scars? A sort-of sequel to 'Scars' but does not pick up from where the first story left of! Coulson/Skye fic! (Set after 1x15, "Yes Men")


**Here it is! The sort-of sequel to Scars! I should point out that this is not a direct continuation from the first story and can be read as a stand-alone fic too; which means that the story does not immediately pick up from where 'Scars' ended. This is just another one-shot based on Skye's scars this time so it is set after 1.15 'Yes Men' **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A/N: One more tiny detail... this story deals with the idea that since Skye is an 0-8-4, even though we haven't seen any signs of powers yet, what if part of who she is involves healing a.k.a rapid cell regeneration? This tiny aspect is just my own little thought! ^_^**

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It had been a relatively quiet day for Coulson's team on the Bus and everyone was certainly thankful for a breather to relax in order to get their bearings again; the last week or so turned out to be very eventful when S.H.I.E.L.D came into contact with not one but _two_ Asgardian Warriors - Lady Sif and Lorelei; the former, Lady Sif was an ally to the team and helped her with the mission to capture Lorelei so that she could be taken back to Asgard and pay for her crimes. There was also Skye's recent recovery from a near-fatal experience with Ian Quinn which had resulted in a somber, intense few days for Ward, FitzSimmons, May and Coulson. Which is precisely why the two scientists had declared this free day of theirs should end with an evening where the six of them would spend time together and have another Game Night. It had been a few months since their last break and so they all were glad to jump at this opportunity.

The time to meet up on the deck was a little after sunset and until then, each member was busy doing their own things to kill time; Coulson was in his office doing research work, FitzSimmons were in the lab working on new weapons upgrades, Skye and Ward were training together while May was in the cockpit making the flight arrangements for The Hub. It was close to dusk when Coulson finally closed all the files he had been studying and once he locked them up safely, he decided to check in on Skye... seeing as there was a little over a half hour until they had to meet up in the common area. He had been meaning to talk to her about what information he was gathering ever since their clandestine decision to keep the mission they were dealing with a secret from everyone else; over the last few days, there had been nothing significant for Skye's part of the arrangement which had her hacking into all possible accounts and secure sites to locate Ian Quinn but today, Coulson had come across a surprising discovery which he needed to confide in Skye about. As he passed through the corridors from his office and reached her bunk, he noticed that Skye's door was slightly ajar while the others were still locked.

_"I hope she's okay now."_ The same thought ran through his mind at least a dozen times every hour and he knew it would be a while before the worrying lessened.

She had only just gotten back to training two days ago after being discharged from the med-pod by Simmons who had determined that the GH 325 serum had healed her. Coulson stopped outside her bunk for a second, wondering what he was going to say to her about the news he had come across... she deserved to know the truth because right now there was no one else he trusted on the Bus as much as he believed in Skye. Raising a hand to knock on the door, he heard her voice call out from within.

"The door's open already! I told you it wasn't going to be a learning experience with my _training_ today. Ward's just been so busy with his own stuff and then there's Fitz with his night-night gun modifications... no wait, you told me its called ICERS now..." Skye went on talking as she pulled off the top and breathed a sigh of relief to be standing in front of her bed in leggings and a tank top.

Coulson, who had walked in as soon as he heard her invite him in, realized by now that Skye thought Simmons was supposed to be here turned back to leave before the hacker noticed he was in the room with her only to stop halfway when she heard her gasp in surprise.

"A.C! Wh... wha... what are you doing here?" Skye had luckily glanced over her shoulder to see why Jemma hadn't said anything to her and almost startled herself when she saw Coulson trying to sneak out of the room. Spinning around so that her back was facing him, she grabbed her t-shirt and held it to her waist.

"Sorry about that Skye... I didn't know you were expecting Jemma, I was just coming to talk to you about something. Aren't you supposed to be training with Ward?" Coulson fumbled over his words slightly, noting that this was a bit of an awkward situation that they both had found themselves in; of all the embarrassing scenario's anyone could think up, none had come quite close to having Skye only dressed in her workout clothes.

"It finished early. May came over a while ago and said she had to discuss something urgently with Ward so the two of them went back to the cockpit. I told Jemma I was going up to change and we'd meet up here before coming out to Game Night." Skye rambled as she still faced the wall instead of Coulson.

"Ah... I see." This was something that Coulson had not entirely anticipated and yet, he knew just what Skye was trying to do. "Are you alright Skye?" His voice dropped down a few notches as he walked away from the door and closer to where Skye was standing near her bed.

"Yes! I'm fine, just... fine A.C. Really. All good here." Inwardly groaning as she realized how silly she just sounded, Skye wondered if Coulson was leaving her room and took the chance to turn around and... "Oh!" Almost bumping into his chest, Skye realized that he now stood only _inches_ apart from her.

For a few seconds, Coulson simply stared at the young woman in front of him as he waited to see if she made a move to get rid of the t-shirt that she was hugging tightly. His eyes were focused on her face even though Skye had not looked up as she seemed to be avoiding his gaze.

"Skye." Reaching out to touch her shoulder, Coulson saw the shiver that went through her as she finally snapped her head up with eyes widening from the contact.

"Coulson..." She whispered, unsure of what to say next. This was something she had been trying to avoid all week and yet, somehow, of all people, Coulson was the first one she encountered. "What...?" As soon as she felt his hands on her waist she knew what he was doing.

"There's no need for this Skye, you don't have to hide anything from me. You know that." Coulson's tone was close to a whisper itself. He quietly took hold of the shirt Skye was holding onto and slipped it away, knowing that her next instinct would be to wrap her arms around her waist.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about." The sudden close proximity between her and Coulson was startling to Skye as she felt her heartbeats increasing as well as the fact that she could hear _his_ heart beating fast too.

Coulson was proven right as he felt Skye's arms snaking around her own stomach in a protective manner. Whatever reason he had come to see her earlier was long forgotten as he realized that Skye still had to deal with the aftermath of what had happened with Quinn. Instead of saying anything else, Coulson took her hands in his and gently removed them from her waist to reveal what she was hiding; two vague and barely visible scars were etched across her abdomen, proof of where the bullets had pierced her body. As soon as he held her hands in his, Skye nervously dared to take a look at his reaction and was surprised when she saw that he didn't look stunned at all when he noticed the scars... or rather the lack of them.

"Hiding your scars isn't the answer Skye. There's no reason to feel ashamed about it. Everyone on this bus knows what happened with Quinn and judging by your reaction it seems that even Jemma hasn't seen these for more than a few seconds when she was examining you." While he had been a little taken aback to notice her fading scars, Coulson also knew that the serum was bound to act differently in Skye's system than it had with his.

"I'm not ashamed..." Skye finally spoke up as she also decided it was time she met Coulson's gaze on her, "I... I'm... afraid." She admitted softly, still not meeting his gaze even though she knew without a doubt that he was the one person she could trust completely.

"Of what?" Raising an eyebrow as he looked on at the girl standing in front of him with a concerned gaze. Skye was never one to open up so unabashedly and outright claim to be afraid of things.

"Your reactions. Everyone's I mean. I just... thought that maybe with that serum inside me..." She started to ramble a little knowing that the outcome everyone had expected was for Skye to be fully healed in no time and yet, like Coulson, still retain her scars. Perhaps there was something more to her healing than she or anyone else thought?

"You thought that once it healed you then the scars would still remain... because I still have mine. The serum didn't make the scar I have disappear like yours..." And just as he said those words he realized what Skye might have been thinking. "You... do you think that the scars healing themselves might have to do less with the GH 325 in your system and more...?" It was quite possible for this idea to be true but they didn't have any way of proving anything.

"The fact that I'm an 0-8-4? Yeah... that thought has crossed my mind A.C. Its the only explanation I can think of; Jemma hadn't noticed anything when she discharged me the other day and you told me that there was nothing in my blood work that showed something... _unnatural._ And yet, here I am with almost no scars in spite of being treated the same way you were. It can't be any more far-fetched than what we've already witnessed." Skye added the last sentence as an afterthought but held her tongue before she let the word 'alien' slip through.

"And no one else knows about you except for May; you never said anything to FitzSimmons or Ward?" At times, there was a twinge of annoyance or something else he couldn't name that Coulson felt when he realized that May knew the truth about Skye. It wasn't that he didn't trust Melinda May, but sometimes he truly believed that the lesser his team were aware of the young hacker's origins, not just to keep them safe but to keep Skye safe as well.

"No. I wasn't sure the time was right; I still don't know if I should... I mean, how exactly do I go up to my friends and just tell them I might be some super-powered abnormal and unknown person without any idea of how dangerous I might be." It felt like the right moment to try and make the situation a little less intense and more light-hearted; Skye even managed a small grin as she noticed Coulson's reaction to hearing her words but was slightly surprised when she felt his hand touch her cheek.

"Hey... hey, there's absolutely nothing abnormal about you Skye. I've known you since they day we met and you've been everything but abnormal; don't you know how special and important you are to all of us? You're a strong woman Skye and you have always been able to stand through everything that comes your way and surprise me with how you handle all of it. Even the other day when I told you the truth about the source of that drug, you weren't phased by what we've only just begun to learn." Coulson knew beyond a shred of doubt that Skye was the most important person in his life right now because, without her, he wouldn't have realized that the family and principles and rules of S.H.I.E.L.D that he believed in, that he gave his life for, may not truly be as it seemed to the others. After everything the two of them had gone through together, relying on each other had become second nature for him and for Skye as well.

"Yeah, that's because I said we live in the dark and if we're going to find the truth together then I guess... the best I can do is hope no one notices my lack of scars, at least not anytime soon." As if speaking his thoughts, Skye eventually relented as she sighed, coming to a reasonable conclusion that there was no need for her to worry just yet.

"Exactly." Coulson was aware now that he still hadn't mentioned what he wanted to talk to Skye about; the reason why he had barged into the room only to find that she was continuing to recover from all that had happened to her. It was something that could wait and not add any more pressure on her mind.

Since it was nothing more than a suspicion on his behalf, he figured it was better for him to see if there was anything else to uncover and then he would reveal everything to her. In the meantime, the best thing for both of them would be to continue their mission in private and make sure they didn't let anything slip while around the team. Speaking of which, Coulson checked his watch just then and noticed it was almost time for the Game Night to begin.

"Skye, we should probably get going. The others might be waiting for us in the common area already." He gestured with his hand that she go first.

"I... I still have to change. I'll only be a minute." It hadn't been lost on Skye that for the entire conversation she'd just had with Coulson, she wore nothing but her tank top and leggings; plus standing in such close proximity to him was not helping matters as she continued to feel her heart hammering against her chest, her knees turning to jelly and the thoughts in her mind running through all sorts of possibilities which were embarrassing enough to make Skye blush even though she knew Coulson had no idea of what they were.

"Of course." Realizing that he hadn't given her a chance to change from her training clothes, Coulson suddenly knew it was time for him to leave before his heart overruled his mind and he said something to Skye that he might not have wanted to. Not yet. The time wasn't right and even though he wasn't sure if there would _ever_ be a right time for this... acting on his feelings for Skye when she had only just begun to find her balance again, he couldn't do that to her.

Nodding his head to say goodbye, Coulson turned around to leave Skye's room and wait for her there with everyone else. He was stopped however, when he felt her soft but firm grip on his wrist. It was unexpected but what Coulson didn't realize in that second was things were about to get more surprising than just this.

"I... I just wanted to say thanks. For coming to check up on me. I don't quite know what I'd do if it weren't for you A.C." The tone of her voice told him that she was still nervous about something but he wasn't sure what it was.

"You don't need to thank me Skye... I'll always be there for you." It was one of those unspoken things between them ever since day one but Coulson knew there was no harm in reminding her that he wasn't going anywhere and would be there by her side at all times.

It seemed to Coulson, looking back on this moment with Skye in her room with just the two of them... alone, that these very words to her were the defining point with what happened next.

As the silence fell around the two of them after Coulson's reassurance to Skye, it felt as if time was slowing down and yet everything occurred so quickly that neither one even knew what was going on. One minute Skye was holding onto Coulson's arm and the next, she had closed the distance between them and brushed her lips against his; it was over before either of them could even make another move as she backed up against the wall, unsure of what to say. The kiss had been a complete impulsive decision on her part and while every fiber in her body was screaming for that warmth she felt in his arms, she waited to see what Coulson would say to her; after all, she had practically stunned him into a silent shock with that unexpected kiss. She had been struggling with her feelings towards him for a long time now and had nearly lost him once when Raina had captured him; ever since she regained consciousness from her own shooting, Skye had debated over confessing what she felt for Coulson through various scenario's but a straight-up kiss had not been one of them.

What Skye didn't know at that moment was as soon as Coulson felt his lips on hers, everything changed in that second. It had been a light and chaste kiss but the moment they touched... all the feelings that Coulson had been keeping buried deep within his heart suddenly burst through to the surface as he strode over across the room and cupping her cheeks in his hands, bent down to kiss her back. Once she registered what was happening, Skye wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed deeply. Minutes later, the two of them broke apart; although he still had his hands against the wall, effectively pinning her, Coulson rested them against her waist and saw the shiver Skye felt ripple through her when he touched the bare skin there.

"It seems we have a lot to discuss don't we?" Coulson asked her as he gazed at the woman in front of him, a grin forming on his lips. This had been an unexpected and sudden turn of events for the two of them but certainly not an unwelcome one.

Skye was still trying to catch her breath from that kiss, it had nearly left her with wobbly legs but from somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that it was possibly the fact that he was standing close enough to support her in case her knees gave away and the wall was holding her upright. Deciding it was best not to say anything yet, Skye merely glanced up and locked eyes with Coulson as she nodded her head.

"Well then..." Reaching down to entwine her fingers in his hand, he leaned foward and whispered in her ear, "I'll wait for you outside. We can pick up from where we left off later tonight." And with that, Coulson kissed her forehead before leaving her room for her to change into comfortable clothes.

Several minutes after he had left, Skye still remained where she was, leaning against the wall and holding a finger to her lips as she traced the ghost of Coulson's lips kissing her. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she somehow managed to get her head clear enough to focus on changing her clothes in the next minute and calming her nerves enough to seem normal and unaffected by what had just taken place when she and Coulson met up with the rest of the team. As soon as she closed the door to her bunk, Skye sensed his presence behind her and turning around, couldn't stop herself from smiling when he offered his arm to her. She linked her arm through his and together, the two of them made their way towards the common area.

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**If anyone would like to review, just click on the tiny button below! I'd love to hear your feedback! Also, I just wanted to say that I do have at least 2 more Coulsye fics planned... not one-shots though; they'll be more of a collection of drabbles put together! I'll return after 12th April with more news!**


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